Looking to see a light on Kappock and Independence

To the editor:

In recent weeks, I have read several central Riverdale residents’ consternation about the intersection at Independence Avenue and West 235th St. For an even scarier Halloween fright, they — along with City Councilman Oliver Koppell — should follow Independence south to Kappock Street. Here, the city allows eleven entrances and egresses to go unmonitored by a traffic light.

City buses, unpredictable Hudson Link buses and emergency vehicles share the road with school buses, cars, pedestrians, baby strollers and dogs at this unguarded intersection where a nursing home, a playground, a park, two apartment buildings, and five bus stops sit watching, just waiting for an accident to happen.

I have seen several nearmisses between vehicles, as well as between vehicles and pedestrians, as even wellmeaning drivers struggle to figure out the right-of-way in this confusing confluence of streets, driveways and exit ramps. The rushed or careless driver who disregards stop signs or refuses to allow pedestrians the right-of-way on the marked crosswalks around the intersection only makes an already dangerous intersection more perilous.

Let us hope and pray that it doesn’t take an accident, injury, or worse before the Department of Transportation agrees that a six-way traffic light needs to be installed at the intersection of Kappock Street and Independence Avenue.

DOMINIQUE PADURANO

This is part of the November 5, 2009 online edition of The Riverdale Press.

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